How many offices needed?

I actually laughed out loud when I saw the picture of the East Newport Post Office earlier this month with the announcement that daily hours would be cut. It should have been closed, as Newport does not need or deserve two post offices. Let’s get serious. Many towns have multiple offices, including Farmington and Vassalboro. These facilities have to be maintained, heated and plowed, etc. Mr. Paperback, for example, closed when modern technology made the stores unprofitable. Why not government facilities?

Brian Hanson

Saint Albans

Cut our Legislature

Our governor is busy trying to figure out how to shaft the working class rather than reduce the size and cost of state government.

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The governor should start by cutting the size of the Maine Legislature by at least two-thirds. California, the most populous state, has a smaller Legislature than we do.

We pay salary, transportation, housing, food, health care and pension for a part-time job. It’s a great racket — serve one term, and you have benefits for life.

Most of our representatives are self-employed, so they need the health care benefits — poor dears. What other part-time job in this state is so lucrative as being in the Legislature? Meanwhile, most of their constituents’ best job opportunities are part-time at Walmart.

Donna Twombly

Pittsfield

Our godless culture

In the excellent article written by Charles Krauthammer, “The Roots of Mass Murder” on Dec. 24, the one piece that Krauthammer left out was about our “godless” culture.

God is banned from our classrooms, and most public places. Our founding fathers created our Constitution based on God’s moral teaching. His commandments have been banned from display.

They include the following: Thou shalt have no other gods before me; thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image; thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain; remember the Sabbath day, keep it holy; honor thy father and mother; thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not commit adultery; thou shalt not steal; thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor; and thou shalt not covet.

Of these, which is most important? “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength,” and “love your neighbor as yourself.”

Loving God, ourselves and each other is the most important thing we can do to make our society better.

There’s no law written that denies my right to speak the name of Jesus or God in public places. I will not allow fear of being sued to prevent my right to free speech any longer and hope that others will finally challenge anyone that dictates the false premise “separation of church and state.”

My God is awesome, in him will I trust.

Rhonda Loncto

Fletchers Landing Township

Read the Bible

If same-sex couples want to get married, fine, just don’t flaunt it in public. Let our children grow up believing what the Bible says about the subject. If you don’t know what the Bible says, maybe you should read it.

Carolyn Dubay

Cambridge

Licensed gun ownership

I ask our elected officials not to let the National Rifle Association hold our country hostage. I do not want to see our country become a militant nation.

We need to get assault weapons out of the hands of criminals, severely disturbed individuals and irresponsible gun owners. Gun ownership should be a privilege, not a right.

Just as one must pass a test to get a license to drive a car and car registration is required, so should gun ownership be licensed.

Somehow we need to find and register the assault weapons already in circulation and restrict them to military and police work. Hunters and sportsmen should be assured their guns are not in question, but assault weapons are not useful for protection or recreation.

At the same time we need to provide easier access to better mental health services. It is deplorable that so many programs are being cut. We need to get our priorities straight and stop the violence so prevalent today.

Joan Shapleigh

Dover-Foxcroft

The ‘elbow swing’

There are certain TV news correspondents, many of them women, who have the “swinging elbow” as they stand before the camera and report the news. If it was a subtle, unintentional reflex we could probably deal with it. But it appears quite intentional and distracting.

I first noticed it with Nancy Cordes of CBS News. I have since noticed the “elbow swing” being done by a few more local TV reporters and weather forecasters. When it is extreme, I liken it to an overstuffed pigeon trying to get off the ground. If this is their gesture of swagger, please tell them to stop. I find it distracting and unnecessary on the highest order.